


Rumor Has It

by JasnNCarly



Series: Morgan and Bree (Crossover Series) [11]
Category: General Hospital, One Life to Live, The Bold and the Beautiful
Genre: Crossover Pairings, Drabble Series, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-25
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2020-05-14 01:08:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19262902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasnNCarly/pseuds/JasnNCarly
Summary: This drabble series will center around the pairings of Michael Corinthos, III & Steffy Forrester and Morgan Corinthos & Bree Brennan.The story should stand alone, though it may carry the same themes of some previous fics.





	1. Chapter 1

**~*~Apprehension~*~**  
  
“Steffy, this isn’t funny!”  
  
His beautiful brunette had poor timing when it came to the things she saw humor in, especially as she attempted to bury her face in a sofa pillow to muffle her laughter.  
  
Michael continued to pace back and forth, creating hills in her living room rug, “Bree has a multitude of problems my brother doesn’t need right now.”  
  
“Come on, Blondie, people would say the same thing about either of us. We’re doing okay.”  
  
“You weren’t there when I found him on the island. You didn’t see how broken he was. I can’t let it happen again.”  
  
 **~*~Assessment~*~**  
  
Steffy took a bold stand in front of him, “This is where I stand up in defense of your brother who a – isn’t a child anymore and b – is in love with a woman who has come back to him. At what point do you step aside and realize he needs you to be his brother and not his father?”  
  
He swallowed hard, trying to avoid a knee jerk reaction.   
  
“Focus on something else.”  
  
“Something else?” Michael gave a firm nod, bending down to throw her over his shoulder – carrying her to the bedroom as she burst into laughter again.  
  
 **~*~Attention~*~**  
  
It was impossible not to hear whispers or see the judgment in their eyes as Bree walked through the Metro Court hand in hand with Morgan; tightening her hold of his hand, she unintentionally signaled distress and their walk came to stop.  
  
Morgan’s ebony gaze searched her eyes for doubt, “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with staying here?”  
  
“Yes.” Releasing his hand, she pushed her wild hair behind her ears with a forced smile, “Whatever you need me to do...to prove this can work.”  
  
“I just—need a little time, okay?”  
  
“I will be fine. I promise.”  
  
 **~*~Accumulate~*~**  
  
Morgan watched as she moved through the suite, her fingers touching all the fabrics and her nose taking a deep breath of the fresh flowers filling the room, “If you need anything, you call the front desk so they can put it on the tab.”  
  
“I hope you’re at least letting me pay that bill.”   
  
Her smile towards him, the perfect curve to her pink lips, had him second guessing his decision, wondering if he was really to let her go even for a second.  
  
Sensing his reserve, her hand captured his, “You don’t have to leave this second, right?”


	2. Chapter 2

**~*~Disrupt~*~**  
  
“Michael!” His name came out in between soft giggling, her hand covering her cell phone as she tried to reprimand him; returning to her phone call despite his lips busy at the side of her throat, she welcomed his advances physically while ignoring him verbally until, “She’s what?”  
  
He knew that tone enough to know when to stop and cut his losses, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling as Steffy finished her conversation, throwing her phone across the room.  
  
“Hope’s trying to steal my line just because I’m gone. I’ve got to get back to Los Angeles.”  
  
 **~*~Corruption~*~**  
  
Michael’s wide green eyes watched as she got dressed at a furious pace, “When?”  
  
“Yesterday. She’s trying to convince my father my commitment is lacking because of all the time I’m spending here.”   
  
“….with me.”  
  
Steffy froze, releasing a heavy breath and allowing a softer expression to finally face his, “I’m not giving you up; but I won’t give up my work either.”  
  
Michael said nothing, propping himself into a seat against the headboard.  
  
Pouting her lip, she tried to lighten the mood by crawling onto the bed and to a seat straddling his lap, “Take a trip with me.”  
  
 **~*~Persuade~*~**  
  
Michael tried to concentrate as Steffy nibbled on his earlobe, “…I can’t.”  
  
“Sure, you can.” She smacked her lips together, her arms loose around his neck, as her eyes focused on his lips, “It’ll be just me and you in my fabulous apartment every night.”  
  
“You get tunnel vision at Forrester Creations.”  
  
“I might be focused on something else, if you were there.” She began to envelop his lips with hers, pleading in between lingering pecks, “Please…”  
  
Part of him wanted to stay in town, closely monitor the situation between Bree and his brother; yet he found himself giving in.  
  
 **~*~Question~*~**  
  
“If we’re going to fix this,” Morgan pulled away from her completely, “we should start over.”  
  
Bree cleared her throat, shoving her hands into her back jean pockets, “How do we do that?”  
  
Morgan contemplated their options, refusing to look at her in fear he would fall into her bottomless crystal gaze, “…a date.”  
  
“A date?” A soft laugh began to leave her lips but faded into the air as she saw the severity of his look; moving across the room, she filled his senses the moment she stood close, “Tell me what you need, and that’s what I’ll do.”


	3. Chapter 3

**~*~First~*~**  
  
Ripping his tie off, Morgan threw the accessory in his backseat and took a deep breath while shutting his eyes tight – uncertain of why his nerves were so on edge.  
  
So what if they had never had a real date and fallen into their relationship just before she had a complete mental breakdown, this should’ve been the easy part.  
  
He stepped out of his car, undoing the first few buttons of his white shirt, and started to work towards the Metro Court entrance.  
  
When he saw her standing outside, her beautiful eyes searching for him, Morgan’s feet transformed into cement.  
  
 **~*~Remember~*~**  
  
Bree’s wild, sunkissed curls were piled into a messy updo; her slender frame was hugged by a wine shaded cocktail dress; the sight of her standing there, in anticipation of his company, nearly made him retreat.  
  
However, as she raised her hand to wave at him, Morgan spotted the bracelet around her wrist – the momento given to her on the island.  
  
Encouraged, he approached and kissed the back of the hand she extended to him; when she held onto his hand, Morgan felt swelled with pride at his decision to start over.  
  
They deserved a new beginning, beautiful and sacred.  
  
 **~*~Sense~*~**  
  
“You look unhappy.” Morgan caught on quickly to her inner debate, dropping his fork and wiping his mouth, “You hate the food.”  
  
“No, it’s great and expensive and…this place is really fancy.” She rested her hands in her lap, trying to mask her disappointment, but gave in when he narrowed her eyes at her, “All right, so I kinda thought we’d be having a dinner…alone. Not like this.”  
  
“What is this ‘like’?”  
  
“…dinners with Buchanans.” Bree reached across the table to cover his hand with her own, pouting her lip, “But I’m with you, so it makes everything different – better.”  
  
 **~*~High~*~**  
  
Steffy’s penthouse always reminded him how different they were; though beautiful, it was clearly for a woman without any inhibitions. The bathtub in the living room, the fresh flowers and white furniture, and everything else which screamed fashionista – very young, sexy, and single.  
  
Michael stepped away from the window and over to the fireplace, smiling as he spotted the additions scattered among Steffy’s mantle – pictures she had collected of the two of them; his green gaze sailed across the room to find they were not the only pictures, wherever she could clutter the space with reminders of him – she did.


	4. Chapter 4

**~*~Midnight~*~**  
  
Their dinner had gone fine, and he wanted to be happy that his plan had worked, even as she thoughtfully twirled a curl around her index finger while staring out into the night.  
  
Pulling over to the side of the road, he jerked the car to a stop and threw the gear into park, “This is wrong.”  
  
“What? What’s wrong?” She was clear alarmed, sitting straighter in her seat and watching as he got out of the car, “Where are you going?”  
  
Morgan walked to the passenger side, yanking her door open and throwing his hands up, “This isn’t us!”  
  
 **~*~Forfeit~*~**  
  
“I wanted us to have something—normal and expected, but this isn’t us. We don’t do dates and have small talk…we never have.”  
  
Bree undid her seatbelt, turning her body towards his and planting her heels on the ground, “That’s a bad thing?”  
  
“No, it’s just—” He knelt down, taking her hands in his, and stared up into her eyes, “I love you, Bree, and  _us_  the way we are.”  
  
A smile began to creep onto her lips, “No changes?”  
  
“…no.”  
  
She threw her arms around him, her lips meeting his with a firm and passionate kiss of thanks.  
  
 **~*~Consideration~*~**  
  
Michael bid farewell to his modesty when he was with her, especially as they shared a bubble bath that anyone could’ve saw; however, it was easy to forget the world when Steffy was giving him her undivided attention and her lips were enveloping his with a sweet and sensual tease.  
  
“I’m glad you liked the changes to my place.” Steffy brushed away the bubble on his shoulders, lingering her fingers along his mucles as her hands worked their way down his arms, “Especially since I would like this to be your place too.”   
  
“You know I can’t leave Port Charles.”  
  
 **~*~Intrude~*~**  
  
“We could be one of those bicoastal couples. Maybe even a multiple home, different countries kinda couple.”   
  
Steffy’s eyes sparkled when she made plans for the future, certain his love for her would not allow him to deny her – she was right.  
  
“Making memories with you all over the world? I could definitely get used to that.” Michael moved in to respond to her proposal with one of his own, only to be stopped by a loud knock on the door.  
  
“I know you’re in there, Steffy! We have to talk.”  
  
Steffy’s eyes widened as she mouthed her name,  _Hope_.


	5. Chapter 5

**~*~Desperation~*~**  
  
Michael attempted to follow her out of the bathtub, only to have her press down on his shoulders with a soft plea, “No, please, I’ll make her go away.”  
  
His protest was cut short by an urgent kiss from her lips; her blue eyes were sparked with mischeif as she tightened the belt on her robe. Putting the chain in place, Steffy cracked the door open, “Hope, save your drama, whatever your latest complaint is, for the meeting tomorrow.”  
  
Michael’s eyes shot away from the sound of Hope’s yelp, her foot in the door preventing Steffy from concluding the argument.  
  
 **~*~Voyeur~*~**  
  
The second he saw the lust in her gaze replaced with the fire of frustration, Michael stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel securely around his waist.  
  
Steffy undid the lock, swung the door open, and watched as her stepsister stomped into her home.  
  
Hope stopped, spotting Michael’s muscled form nearby, and tried not to let her jaw drop to the floor; his girlfriend stepped into Hope’s field of vision, “Is there a reason you’re oogling my boyfriend or is this just another excuse to piss me off? Because you don’t want to test my commitment to Michael.”  
  
 **~*~Payback~*~**  
  
“Even if I was, which I’m  ** _not_** , interested in your boyfriend, wouldn’t that kind of serve you right?”   
  
Hope’s comment caused Steffy to take a step closer to the blonde and prompted Michael to step in with a low whisper, “Whoa.” His hands firmly gripped her shoulders, keeping her in place as Hope let out a disbelieving laugh and took a step back.  
  
Steffy looked at him over her shoulder, warning him to choose a side.  
  
Michael dismissed himself from their exchange and made a cautious escape with his hand tight on the towel at his waist, “I’ll be upstairs.”   
  
 **~*~Rocky~*~**  
  
Logic went out the window whenever he was swept up in her fever; her heavy breath was all he could hear, her skin all he could smell, and the weight of her delicate frame all he could feel.  
  
Morgan was certain it couldn’t remain this easy, to be so in love and have not a signal consequence threaten their happiness – infiltrate their perfect world.  
  
Her curls fell from her updo as she stared down at him, her fingertips softly caressing his jaw, “What’s wrong?”  
  
Morgan said nothing, pulling her to him for a deep kiss that could cease all doubt.


	6. Chapter 6

**~*~Egg Shells~*~**  
  
“It’s supposed to help with my anxiety, prevent the blackouts and—moods.”   
  
Despite receiving treatments, Bree still had a hard time talking about her mental health with him; Morgan had no idea how to react to suddenly be cut out of such a huge part of her life, especially as she finished the glass of water meant to wash the pills down.  
  
He took her hand between his as she settled into a seat beside him, “Did they—you told them everything?”   
  
Bree drew in a deep breath, giving a very slow nod, “What I could remember, I told them.”  
  
 **~*~Map~*~**  
  
“Maybe we should get out of town for a few days. Relax and just…be together.”  
  
“Don’t you think that’s just a little much? Does your family need another reason to hate me?”  
  
Morgan ignored her comment, slightly irritated by its truth and remaining optimistic, “I could tell Jax that it was about business prospects, eliminate all questions. Bonus, my brother’s already in L.A. with Steffy.”  
  
Bree’s jaw dropped to mock his excitement, “Your brother probably hates me the most for the way things have gone down between us.”  
  
“He knows how much I love you. He’ll be supportive. You’ll see.”  
  
 **~*~Game~*~**  
  
“Michael! What a wonderful surprise.”   
  
Hope’s feigned smile caused him to freeze in place – green eyes darting around for the nearest exit.  _Steffy’s gonna kill me_.  
  
Clearing his throat, he slid his hands into his jean pockets.  
  
“Steffy’s really lucky to have someone like you on her side; she’s going to need it when the company ends up backing my fashion line instead of hers. Again.”  
  
“That’s crazy. You know I was just telling her the same thing.” His smile vanished the moment she look pleased with his response, adding, “Right before I told her to start her own company.”  
  
 **~*~Defense~*~**  
  
“She’s in a meeting with Oliver.”  
  
The mention of his name made Michael’s body overwrought with anger; Oliver who had used his friendship with Steffy to manipulate her, to attempt to break them up in an effort to please the father from hell.  
  
“It was Ridge’s suggestion.”  
  
 _I’m sure it was_. Michael kept the retort to himself, continuing his journey to his girlfriend’s office and inhaling deep breaths in an attempt to avoid overreaction; however, the loud request he heard while nearing Steffy’s office did little ease his tension.  
  
“You need to get out of here before Michael catches you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**~*~Foul~*~**  
  
Alarmed by the command, Michael’s hand pushed her office door open; his glare finding Steffy face to face with a familiar adversary.  
  
“Didn’t I say if he caught you here, he’d ring your neck, Oliver.”  
  
Oliver narrowed his eyes at her, “And you wouldn’t prevent him from assaulting a friend?”  
  
“I don’t know if you fit that category anymore.”   
  
Michael was pleased by Steffy’s response, yet his eyes remained glued to his enemy until he was out of the room.  
  
Once they were alone, Steffy took Michael’s face in her hands, using a magnetic kiss to erase his furious thoughts.  
  
 **~*~Welcome~*~**  
  
“It’s gonna be fine! L.A. is neutral territory for you guys.”  
  
Steffy’s optimisim did little for him as they awaited Morgan and Bree’s arrival; Michael’s worries were only intensified by their reconcilation – one solidified by his absence. A strange shame overwhelmed Michael as he convinced himself it was his fault Bree had wormed her way back into Morgan’s world.  
  
“Hey…” Steffy’s soft tone, swelled with patience and support, and her arms, snaked around his waist, forced him to face her, “We’ll make this good, okay? We’ll help Morgan, no matter what he needs, right?”  
  
Michael forced a smile, “You’re right.”  
  
 **~*~Terminus~*~**  
  
Bree began to hyperventilate, holding Morgan’s hand so tight it began to go numb; the plane came to a relatively smooth landing, and it left her longing for a rocky one which shook the nerves out of her system.  
  
Morgan’s lips whispered into her ear before leaving a small peck near her ear, “You ready?”  
  
“Let’s let some others off first.” Bree filled her lungs with stuffy airplane air, shutting her eyes, “I’m sure your brother could wait to see me a little longer.”  
  
“You think I’m gonna let anybody get out of line with you?”   
  
“Not even a little.”  
  
 **~*~Even~*~**  
  
They exchanged pleasantries; Steffy proved the most welcoming, hugging Morgan and Bree before rambling about everything they had to see before leaving town.  
  
Michael did as requested by his brother and his girl, smiling when appropriate and limiting his speech to one word answers – hoping to avoid making his bitter, protective feelings known.  
  
When he felt his little brother’s pat to his shoulder, Michael met Morgan’s eyes and saw a calm had returned to his ebony eyes.  
  
Michael knew the look all two well and feared it was wasted a woman who could very well destroy him all over again.


	8. Chapter 8

**~*~Demos~*~**  
  
“I was thinking we should avoid the clubs tonight, have a nice dinner, and get up early tomorrow for shopping. Maybe I can even convince Bree to model some things at the botique.”  
  
“You realize that I’m highly distracted and numb right now.”  
  
While Bree and Morgan took a few hours to rest, settle into their hotel suite, Steffy dragged Michael back to her place and exhausted him. Standing in a white and red lingerie, she turned to him with a small wiggle, “What about this one?”  
  
Michael remained flat on his stomach, “I can’t really think at the moment.”  
  
 **~*~Inexorable~*~**  
  
His green eyes popped open, stunned by the sadness he saw clouding her stare, “He’s my little brother. I don’t know how to stop being protective.”  
  
“Neither does my father or your mother, but—it has to happen. Morgan has to live the way he wants or he’ll have a lifetime of regret that he could blame you for.” Steffy scooted a little closer; her breath brushed the skin of his shoulder, her fingers crawled up and down his back, “No one can tell him to stop loving Bree, just like no one could tell you to stop loving me."  
  
 **~*~Dining~*~**  
  
“You picked the perfect place for a weekend getaway, tons to do.” Steffy tried to kill the awkward pauses among them, caressing Michael’s inner thigh if he got too quiet and holding her head high when he smiled, “Have any preferences?”  
  
Morgan shook his head, signaling the waiter for more wine as they awaited their entrées, “Whatever Bree wants to do? I’m down.”  
  
Bree glanced over at him, giving his neck a quick kiss in response; it took everything for Michael to keep his opinion to himself.  
  
“Maybe something with the ocean? Keep everyone in a calm state of mind.”  
  
 **~*~Challenge~*~**  
  
Steffy had to take a call, furious with Hope’s latest undermining, and Morgan had stepped away moments before; there they were – alone – sure they had Morgan’s best interest in mind.  
  
“Are you going to tell me you hate me or should I simply understand the implication?”  
  
Michael bit his tongue, painfully – for a count of five – hard; he wanted to make Steffy proud and respect his little brother.   
  
“I love Morgan so—“  
  
“So much that you left him.” The words had escaped, despite his absolute best efforts, “After he gave up his entire life to be there for you.”


	9. Chapter 9

**~*~Unforgivable~*~**  
  
“I’m not proud of what I did to Morgan…” Bree dabbed the corner of her eyes with her cloth napkin, “But I had to get well.”  
  
“And the next time you forget a pill or have a breakdown?” Michael’s question caused her to lean back a little astounded in her seat, as though he reached across the table and slapped her, “Does he have his whole life blown to pieces again?”  
  
“That’s not fair.”  
  
“What isn’t fair is that you just dropped into Morgan’s life, had him completely adjust his life to fit you, then left him with the aftermath.”  
  
 **~*~Defense~*~**  
  
“All because you couldn’t trust him to take care of you.”  
  
Bree forced her nerves to settle with a deep breath, scanning the restaurant, “You don’t understand, but Morgan does—that’s all that matters.”  
  
Michael leaned towards the table with a heated whisper, “My brother is so in love with you that he can’t see straight. That doesn’t make him the most reliable of sources.”   
  
Bree mimicked his actions, glaring at him with Buchanan fire, “If you think you’re going to scare me away from my second chance with Morgan, you have a very rude awakening come to you, Michael.”  
  
 **~*~Spy~*~**  
  
“Okay, Steffy, it’s getting worse.” Morgan fretted, the two of them peeking around the corner at their table, “Could we please stop them before they kill each other? My girlfriend being the more likely of the two to use a steak knife?”  
  
“Bree so much as sneezes on my Blondie? I’ll handle her.” Steffy crossed her arms and rose a  _‘something to say’_  eyebrow at his dismissive glance towards her, “Look, Michael isn’t listening to either of us. Maybe, the way to get him to accept your decision to be back with Bree is to let them hash it out.”  
  
 **~*~Conclusion~*~**  
  
“Does Michael know about all her medications?”  
  
“And give my big brother another reason to flip out?” Morgan tilted his head back on the wall, “No. He doesn’t need to know.”  
  
“…might help him understand.”  
  
“No, he’s never going to understand any of it after what he found on that island.” Morgan tried to hide his painful memories from Steffy by shutting his eyes tight, “I’m lucky he’s even pretending to like her.”  
  
“He’d do anything for you.”  
  
Morgan glanced back at the two most important people in his life, “I know…I just don’t know if he can do this.”


	10. Chapter 10

**~*~Siesta~*~**  
  
“My girlfriend and brother somewhere that a body could easily disappear. This was a great idea.” Morgan tossed their bags in their cabin, “Steffy, lunch should’ve been all the clue we needed. Michael and Bree are looking to level each other.”  
  
“Would you just trust me?” Steffy glanced over her shoulder before continuing, “If you’ve paid any attention to your brother, at all, you’d know the water calms him down.”  
  
“Then we might need the ocean’s amount to calm him the hell down.”  
  
“Everything is going to be fine; I’ve got at least five bikins to make sure of it.”  
  
 **~*~Inadequacy~*~**  
  
The afternoon sun was pure bliss as Bree ventured out, her blue eyes taking in a full view of the coast on one end. She tucked her hair behind her ears, rounding the corner to spot Michael and his girl.  
  
Bree normally carried the Buchanan boldness, but Steffy Forrester had a way of making her feel slightly less than.  
  
Steffy knew when to push, to hold on, maintaining the perfect amount of sex and love between herself and her mate; as Steffy pulled Michael in for a kiss, Bree wondered if she would ever find that balance with Morgan again.  
  
 **~*~Adorn~*~**  
  
A yelp left her when his arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground, swinging her around and forcing her to look away from Steffy and Michael.  
  
“What are you doing?” Morgan’s voice was playful yet husky as his lips kissed the space just behind her ear, “You not happy with your accommodations?””  
  
“Oh no, this was…a wonderful idea.” Bree’s confidence surged to new heights as she turned in his arms, happy to see his bedroom eyes survey all the skin her bathing suit and short shorts exposed, “Just what we needed…an escape…from almost everything.”  
  
“…except Michael?”  
  
 **~*~Clarity~*~**  
  
Bree hung her head, hoping her sunlit curls would distract Morgan from her expression.  
  
“Hey,” Morgan used a hand to lift her chin, “I don’t want you doing that anymore.”   
  
She offered a somewhat forced smile before his embrace lifted her just off her tiptoes, forcing her to stare deep into his brown eyes.  
  
“You hold your head high after everything you’ve been through. Always. Hear me?”  
  
“…I hear you.”  
  
“This stuff with my family will work itself out…as long as you face it head on.”  
  
Bree knew he needed to have the words, “I’m not going anywhere, never again.”


	11. Chapter 11

**~*~Table Side~*~**  
  
Another awkward meal, the four of them struggled even while surrounded by beautiful moonlit waves.  
  
Steffy made multiple attempts to ease the tension, causing Michael to gently squeeze her thigh as a similtaneous thank you and stop; Morgan ignored it all, his eyes consistently on the nervous blonde beside him, determined to enjoy every second that felt normal – that felt unmistakeably, authentically ‘them’.   
  
Rounding the corner towards dessert, Morgan lifted his glass with a deep breath – the signal which caused Steffy’s cat eyes to widen; she seemed pretty certain this was the wrong moment, but Morgan refused to back down.  
  
 **~*~Toast~*~**  
  
They followed suit, raising their glasses, “I am thankful. Beyond words, sitting here with the three of you,” Morgan’s ebony gaze struck his brother’s stare, “Mike, you’ve pulled me out of the fire more times than I can count. I hope you see that your brother is ready to take on the next challenge, a little wiser and calmer,” Moving from his brother’s questioning squint, he swallowed hard at Steffy’s encouraging, yet cautious grin, “My brother has found his better half in you. The love you guys have has inspired me to chase my own…which bring me to you, Bree.”  
  
 **~*~Turbulence~*~**  
  
Bree felt every muscle stiffen and swell as Morgan knelt on a knee before her, revealing the chocolate diamond that was meant to seal their fate. Her medication could be held responsible for her calm as she resisted the urge to shriek ‘yes’ in response to ‘the’ question.  
  
It was either the meds or Michael.  _If looks could kill…_  
  
“They get to witness the moment, but they don’t get to take it from us.” Morgan cupped her chin, forcing her to stumble back into his adoring yet desperate depths, “Say yes, and we’ll make everyone understand. We’ll fight the world.”  
  
 **~*~Temper~*~**  
  
Michael watched as her arms wrapped around his brother’s neck, any tighter and she would suffocated him,  _again_ ; the two locked in a sickening embrace and a never-ending lip lock.   
  
“Michael…” He heard Steffy’s call, but Michael refused to listen.   
  
 _He’ll drown. She won’t apologize the next time she buries him; she’ll just leave him to rot._  
  
Quick to reach the opposite side of the boat, Michael tried to catch his breath; he heard footsteps approaching, “Don’t tell me to calm down right now. He has no idea what he’s doing.”  
  
Timid, Bree insisted, “I just need you to listen.”


	12. Chapter 12

**~*~Get Along~*~**  
  
“Morgan is my entire life.”  
  
That was his worst worry come true; she and Morgan were so entangled there was no escape. If one of them fell, the other would crash and burn as well.  
  
“This is what I’ve worked – so incredibly hard for, Michael. To get better, to understand my disorder, so that I could come back to him. So we could build our lives together in a way that no one could take away from us again.”  
  
Michael bit his tongue, spotting Morgan and Steffy approaching with extreme caution;  _don’t seclude him, be supportive._  
  
“Tell me you understand.”  
  
 **~*~Team Us~*~**  
  
“Give us your blessing, Mikey.”  
  
Michael knew his brother needed this, knew that Morgan considered him more of a father than any other man in his life and loved him like a best friend who just happened to be his brother.  
  
“She’s gonna be my wife, Mike.”  
  
 _Do it._  Steffy communicated the message loud and clear with her crossed arms, tightened jaw.  
  
Without further hesitation, Michael forced a smile and embraced Morgan, “You have my blessing, man. I just want to be happy.”  
  
“Now, I can be.” He could hear the relief syrup Morgan’s tone as he sighed, “Thank you.”  
  
 **~*~Gift Horse~*~**  
  
Bree fell backward onto the bed, enjoying the bounce back. It was a moment to be still.  
  
“I think I’m supposed to be nervous.”   
  
Her blue eyes drifted to him as he exited the restroom, unbuttoning his short sleeved shirt; he was completely unaware of how beautiful his caramel coated skin looked against the crisp white, his muscles peaking out from beneath the fabric.  
  
“That seemed too easy, too perfect.” Morgan’s doe eyes shot to hers, a frown furrowing his brow, “Right?”  
  
“No,” Extending her slender out towards him, she smiled, “It was exactly how it was supposed to be.”  
  
 **~*~Rewards~*~**  
  
Morgan paused before giving into her request, interlacing their fingers and kissing her fingertip while making her stare at her engagement ring, “We’re engaged.”  
  
“…before the bunnies nonetheless.”  
  
If it was a little too quiet in their room, they could hear the moans and giggles echoing from the other room. Obviously, Steffy felt the need to thank Michael or relieve him in ways that no one else could. For that, they appreciated her. She had helped to facilitate the night without a bloodbath.  
  
Bree slid her hands into his shirt, pushing the material aside, “Time to put them to shame.”


End file.
